Up Production Sketches Are A Must-See

Among the many, many things that made Up such a success-- the talking dogs! The ten-minute montage-- the movie's visual look was one of the most striking. Full of jagged lines and bright colors and an elegant simplicity, Up's design makes the movie instantly recognizable and unique, even compared to Pixar's other work.

So if you liked the look of Up, you've absolutely got to take a look at the latest post on Pixar artist Lou Romano's blog. He's shared dozens of the sketches, animations, and even models he and his team made to get all the details of Up's world right, from the mural Ellie draws above the fireplace in her and Carl's home to detailed paintings of the Tepui, the rocky cliffs that make up the area around Paradise Falls. Romano and the rest of the Pixar crew visited Venezuela to get a look at real life examples, and he shares some photos from the trip as well.

My favorite part comes near the end, where Romano posts a "color script" for Act I of the film. Basically it's an extremely expressionistic recap of the beginning of the film, from awestruck young Carl sitting in the movie theater watching Muntz's newsreel to Russell, depicted as a khaki-colored egg shape, arriving on Carl's doorstep. Looking at the images you can just feel the mood of the film washing over you, as the bright ties in Carl and Ellie's marriage montage give way to the gray of Ellie's hospital bed, and the dark tans of Carl's elderly life alone.

Yeah, you might start crying again as you look at these. But please check them out. I've included a few favorites below, but you really need to see them in high-res on Romano's blog to get the full effect. The first one below, the map of Paradise Falls, is now my desktop. Come geek out with me!